TBP 065 :: Beth Rodden on Big Walls, Injuries, and Becoming A Mom

About Beth Rodden

Beth Rodden is a climbing icon and absolutely a hero of mine. She broke barriers for women in sport climbing and big wall climbing, being the first American woman to climb 5.14b, the first woman to free 2 routes on El Cap, and one half of the 3rd team to free The Nose (with then husband Tommy Caldwell). She also put up what was, at the time, the hardest climb in Yosemite, Meltdown (5.14c).

She did Meltdown in 2008, and soon after started dealing with some major injuries, including surgery for a torn labrum, finger pulley tears, and a broken ankle. Then, after her body started healing up, she became pregnant with her husband Randy Puro, and she had their son Theo in the Spring of 2014.

Beth Rodden Interview Details

Beth is starting to get back into training and climbing a little harder, and I was honored to sit down and talk with her about where she is now as a climber, how motherhood has changed her, and how she used to approach training and climbing.

Her most memorable climbing achievements
How she trained with Tommy Caldwell
FA's, FFA's (free), and FFA's (female)
Dealing with and learning from injuries
Tough pregancy and post pregnancy
How motherhood has changed her
What her goals are now